Clip, fastener, and the like



CLIP, FASTENER, AND THE LIKE Nov. if I Filed March 9, 1948 in FIGZ. FlG. 3. FIGA. FIG] FIGS. FIGS.

2d i? 2e lo e [e 2F F D INVENTOR Patented Nov. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE Application March 9, 1948, Serial No. 13,785 In Great Britain April 2, 1947 This invention concerns so-called pipe clips, that is to say, clips for positioning and securing longitudinally extending elements such as pipes, bars, electric cables and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide a pipe clip which is installed with expenditure of a minimum amount of effort and application of a minimum amount of skill.

Another object is to provide a pipe clip having an improved appearance.

Another object is to construct a two part pipe clip comprising a base and a saddle, said parts being in the form of pressure die-castings.

A further object is to enable the saddle to be secured to the base without application of a bolt or the like whereby longitudinal displacement between the base and saddle is prevented.

A still further object is to provide a pipe clip in which after assembly, no fixing screws are visible.

Yet another object is to enable the pipe clip to readily accommodate to longitudinally extending elements of slightly varying diameter.

Yet a further object is to improve the state of the art. These and other objects will become apparent from the following detailed description, of a preferred form of pipe clip and of two modifications thereof, with reference to the drawings annexed hereunto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the pipe clip base shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same base;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively a left end elevation, an inverted plan and a side elevation of the same base;

Fig. 6 is a reversed perspective view on an enlarged scale of the saddle which with the base illustrated in Figs. 1-5 constitute a complete pipe clip in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are respectively an inverted plan, a right end elevation, a left end elevation and a side elevation of the saddle illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 11 is an inverted horizontal section on the line XIXI of Fig. 5 but showing a relative positioning of the base and the saddle as the two parts are about to be inter-engaged;

Fig. 12 is a reversed perspective view of a slightly modified form of base shown on the same scale as the view of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 13 is a reversed perspective view showing a slightly modified form of saddle on the same scale of the view of Fig. 6.

A preferred form of pipe clip is constituted by base generally designated l and a saddle gen- 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-62) erally designated 2. A base (Figs. 1 to 5) is preferably formed as a pressure die-casting from a zinc base alloy. The base comprises a central plate-like portion la and two side portions lb. These side portions are symmetrical i. e. one is a mirror image of the other.

The depth of the side portion lb is rather more than twice the depth of the central portion la. It presents a partially semi-cylindrical side face la. The base thus presents a continuous flat lower surface Id (Fig. 4) and flat upper surfaces le and l f lying respectively in planes containing the said lower surface. The side portions lb each present an inner surface lg disposed at right angles to the surface If so that there is formed a parallel sided groove bounded by two surfaces lg and surface l extending over the base. This groove is adapted to receive part of a pipe or the like and to be positioned longitudinally relative to the axis thereof. The central portion of the base has a transversely extending slot lh therein; this slot has its upper edge bevelled at la.

Each side portion lb has a groove Ii of width extending through about one third the depth of the said side portions disposed at mid-height thereof and extending from one end face to about one third the distance separating the end faces from the other end face, and from a central line of the semi-cylindrical side face lc to just beyond the plane joining the ends of said semicylindrical side face. The roots of this groove, which are thus disposed approximately at right angles to one another, may both have radiused profiles or may both have plane surfaces. In the base shown the transverse groove roots are radiused and the longitudinal extending roots are plane. The said longitudinally extending roots may each be slightly inclined to provide a taper whereby its commencement at the side face lies about %00 t0 Ac00 of an inch nearer to the base centre than those at the end of said taper near the root termination. (This taper is shown considerably exaggerated in Figs. 2 and 4.) Between the taper end and the groove root termination there is a recess Ila extending transversely at the base towards the centre thereof and conveniently formed by a casting core which leaves a parallel sided groove lm in the surface lg of each side portion of the base.

' Material is also absent or removed from the groove to the upper surface of each side portion in the shape of a quadrant in plan. This removed quadrant extends from that end face having a groove termination almost up to a medial plane across the base to terminate in a convexly radiused surface in extending depthwise of the base, and from the semi-cylindrical side face I c to a region approximately central of the groove also terminating in a convexly radiused depthwise extending surface Io.

The saddle 2 comprises an arched central portion 2a and two side portions or haunches 2b and is at its side portions of shape generally complementary to that of the base I. The curvature of the arched portion 2a is selected so that said arched portion is of constant thickness and of internal shaped complementary to the pipe or the like to be secured in the assembled pipe clip. Each haunch 22) comprises a relatively thin upper part 20 having a depending quadrant shaped web M in an outer corner thereof and a flange 26 below the web; this flange is of shape adapted to be received in the aforementioned groove Ii in the corresponding side portion lb of the base.

The flange 26 is thus of generally quadrant shape and is bounded by a radiused transverse extending depthwise surface 2 which is complementary to the radiused groove root of the groove Ii, and an approximately plane surface 2g which is disposed depthwise and extends longitudinally of the saddle 2. The surfaces 29 and 2 meet in a projection 2h. This projection may be regarded as an extension of the surface 2f in an inward direction and is adapted to ride into the recess Ilc constituted by the lower end portion of the groove Im where said portion intersects the plane surfaces groove root of the groove Ii.

In operation or use the base is first fixed to a surface, such as a wall, by a Wood screw or a bolt of the shank passes through the slot Ih. The length of the slot facilitates alignment and lateral positioning of the base. The pipe or other longitudinally extending element is then positioned on the base and the saddle is placed over the element in a position relatively tov the base somewhat as indicated by the relationship of Figs. 5 and 10.

The saddle is moved longitudinally of the element until each flange 2e becomes engaged in the appropriate groove Ii and relative movement is continued until the projections 2h over-ride the ends of the tapered groove root surfaces and enter recesses Ik.

The dimensions of the base and saddle are so selected that a temporary distortion of the saddlle, largely in the form of flexure in the central arched portion 2a, thereof, obtains as the projections ride up the tapers. It has been found that the casting possesses suflicient resilience to allow such distortion to take place without permanent deformation, and a pronounced audible click is noticeable on full engagement of the two parts of the pipe clip.

Alternatively or additionally the locking of the saddle to the base may be effected by outward upsetting of protrusions Ip (Fig. 12) so as to positively impede withdrawal of each flange 2e. from the appropriate groove Ii.

Longitudinally extending angularly spaced ribs 21' (Fig. 13) may be provided on the saddle to provide additional grippin effect in the external surface of the element and to permit of accommodating elements of slightly varying diameters.

Clearly certain portions of the base and saddle are mutually variable or interchangeable. .For

instance there may be projections on the base adapted to engage in recesses at the ends of tapered surfaces on the saddle.

The base may bend additionally to or instead of flexure of the saddle.

The ribs 2h are only shown as extending through part of the length of the central portion of the saddle but obviously they may extend throughout the full length thereof.

The base may have a part-cylindrical elementreceiving groove instead of a straight-sided groove as shown.

The invention also includes the concept of multiple bases and saddles for accommodating a plurality of laterally spaced elements, and combined saddles and bases for use in mountin one element above and spaced from another element.

Although castings are preferred, the parts may be moulded or forged or pressed or otherwise fabricated.

I declare that what I claim is:

A pipe clip comprising two interengaging members, namely a base and. a saddle, symmetrical side portions on said base partly defining a pipereceiving volume centrally and longitudinally from one face thereof, symmetrical side portions on said saddle, a raised portion on said saddle defining a pipe-receiving volume centrally and longitudinally from one face thereof, each portion on both said base and said saddle being recessed, intermediate vertically-extending longitudinal and transverse root surfaces meeting in substantially a right angle to define on the one member a reduced neck connecting parallel upper and lower flanges on each said side portions and to define on the other member a groove between parallel upper and lower flanges of each said side portion, said parallel flanges forming the faces from which extend said pipe-receiving volumes being on the one member formed to fit into said groove on said other member, and on the other member formed to receive said reduced neck on said one member, said interengaging members then forming a whole which is continuous in outline, and means to lock the two interengaging members together, said means comprising projections on the groove-fitting flanges on said one member and slots in said grooves in said other member, the projections being capable of engaging the slots by snap action.

CHARLES WILLIAMSON BARCLAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 176,871 Loring May 3, 187.6 443,198 Rutzler Dec. 23, 1890 448,359 Nichols Mar. 17, 1891 1,303,347 McFeaters May 13, 1919 1,553,679 Evans Sept. 15, 1925 1,808,328 Thomson June 2, '1931 1,877,781 Akerlund Sept. 20, 1932 2,427,613 McLean Sept. 16, 1947 2,460,946 Reynolds Feb. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,407 Great Britain of 1899 

